


like skating on bare feet

by greygerbil, orro



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 11:15:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14283717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greygerbil/pseuds/greygerbil, https://archiveofourown.org/users/orro/pseuds/orro
Summary: There was always a man at the rink now after it closed down for the night. Yuuko didn’t know how he got in - she always made sure to lock the doors and close the windows - but considering she also didn’t know if calling him a man was entirely right, that was unsurprising.“He’s not dangerous, I don’t think,” Takeshi said as they stood together washing the dishes one evening.Yuuko nodded her head and rubbed a plate dry. She hadn’t gotten that impression, either.“I thought those kinds of things stayed by the lakes and rivers.”“Maybe he’s lonely?” Takeshi speculated.





	like skating on bare feet

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the second LLBB bing! Co-written with [greygerbil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greygerbil/pseuds/greygerbil) who did the adorable art and beta'd by [invisibleauxyeux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/invisibleauxyeux/pseuds/invisibleauxyeux). I've never written for a bing before so this was a good experience to start the bang off with :D

There was always a man at the rink now after it closed down for the night. Yuuko didn’t know how he got in - she always made sure to lock the doors and close the windows - but considering she also didn’t know if calling him a man was entirely right, that was unsurprising.

He was beautiful with dark hair and dark eyes. His skin was white as snow with a blue, icy shimmer to it when he glided into the moonlight. He was also, whenever she saw him, entirely naked. He didn’t even wear skates, yet still moved across the rink like he had grown up on the ice.

He was not a human being, but somehow he was close enough. He was otherworldly as he danced and sprang and glided across the ice. However, when he spotted her watching him at the edge of the rink, he would sometimes stumble under her gaze. He looked a bit like a deer in the headlights, which made Yuuko laugh. He would smile back at her then, an open, gentle expression that Yuuko always saw in her head when she thought of him and made her smile again in turn.

“He’s not dangerous, I don’t think,” Takeshi said as they stood together washing the dishes one evening.

Yuuko nodded her head and rubbed a plate dry. She hadn’t gotten that impression, either.

“I thought those kinds of things stayed by the lakes and rivers.”

“Maybe he’s lonely?” Takeshi speculated.

Yuuko glanced at the leftover rice balls that sat on the counter. “Maybe.”

***

That night, she brought onigiri to the rink in a tupperware box, hoping to make a connection. She stood there until the creature took notice of her and then waved at him. He came closer.

“They’re salmon and cooked chicken,” she said as she pried the lid off the box.

He knit his brow and it occurred to her he might not understand her. She took an onigiri in her hand and held it towards him.

After hesitating for the moment, he took one of the rice balls and took a bite. He had a very nice smile, Yuuko thought, not for the first time. Friendly, if a little halting. She smiled back. They ate the onigiri together, separated only by the wall of the rink.

***

“I’ll bring him some of your old clothes, alright?” Yuuko asked, head in the wardrobe.

“Does he need clothes?” Over her shoulder, she saw Takeshi lowering his razor in the bathroom, frowning as he asked. “Well, maybe he’s cold. Though he does seem to be partly made of ice.”

“Yes, but the girls might meet him and I’d like him to have pants on for that. It’s bad enough the tanuki are running through the forest with everything hanging out...”

Her decision was ruled by true motherly concern and the question whether an ice elemental could feel cold. Yuuko did omit, however, that she also found it a lot harder than a married woman should to not stare at certain parts of the ice elemental whenever she saw him.

***

Takeshi came with her the evening she brought a set of jogging pants and a shirt to the man. He took them from her and, after looking the two of them over, possibly for directions on how to wear the clothes, he put them on. It was a little like putting clothes on a wild animal, Yuuko thought, two things that didn’t really go together, even if he didn’t look uncomfortable. Of course, putting it like that meant admitting she liked looking at him naked, so she pushed that thought away.

He said something unintelligible and smiled. Yuuko and Takeshi looked at each other and Takeshi shrugged.

“He speaks, so reckon we could find out his name?”

“Maybe. Umm...” Yuuko tapped Yuuri on the arm to get his attention and then pointed at herself. “Yuuko.”

Her husband picked up on the idea. “Takeshi,” he offered, patting his own chest.

The man looked between them and nodded his head. Placing a hand on his own chest, he said something melodious, like a line from a poem in a language Yuuko had never heard. There was one sound in there that she was sure was closer to something an string instrument could make rather than a human tongue.

“Yuuri?” Takeshi parsed, slowly.

It was an approximation, though somehow nowhere near it at the same time. The being smiled and then bowed his head.

“Yuuri,” he repeated.

***

It turned out the idea to put pants on Yuuri had been a good one because the triplets did run into him eventually. They were sharp girls, so it didn’t surprise Yuuko they had noticed her or Takeshi leaving for the rink every night. She had just unwrapped the muffins she’d baked in the afternoon when the three girls jumped out of the door to the changing rooms.

“Who is this, mommy?!”

“Is he a skater?”

“Look, he’s on the ice barefoot! Mom, he can’t skate like that!”

“This is Yuuri,” Yuuko said, setting down the muffins. “He doesn’t speak Japanese and he can skate without shoes.”

“Can I skate without shoes?” Loop asked.

“Me too!”

“No, Loop, Axel. He’s different. Sorry, Yuuri, they’re very lively.”

She grimaced and smiled apologetically, hoping he would understand the gist of it.

“Can we skate with him?”

“Ah, I don’t know... I can’t really ask him.”

“Girls!”

From the other end of the hall, Takeshi burst through the door and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw his daughters. Yuuko felt she should have been more upset he’d lost track of them, but they were both sadly used to the fact that their daughters were damn good escape artists. Not like she hadn’t lost track of them herself before... several times.

“We want to skate with Yuuri!” Axel said, throwing her arms up.

“Well...” Takeshi scratched the back of his head, catching his breath before he turned to Yuuko. “Should we let them? We could skate with them, I guess.”

Yuuko looked over her shoulder. Yuuri seemed kind of amused by the scene.

“This is not a reward for slipping out, do you understand? We’ll talk about that!” Yuuko told her girls.

They got their skates and joined Yuuri, who seemed to understand what was happening well enough. Their girls were already quite sure on their feet on the ice, given they had more or less grown up in the rink, but they enjoyed the safe speed that hanging onto an adult’s arm allowed them. Yuuri watched for a moment and, when Loop approached him, allowed her to grab his hand.

It was actually fun this way. Usually, Takeshi had to drag two girls and they complained he wasn’t fast enough. Three adults and three kids made for a much more even experience. She smiled at her husband looking past Yuuri, who was spinning Loop on the ice, and he grinned at her.

“Looks like he’s a natural with the girls,” Takeshi said.

 “Yes,” Yuuko answered, thoughtfully. How fortunate they were that such a creature had made it to their rink! As she caught Yuuri’s eye when he lifted Loop and saw him laughing, she could feel a happy blush creeping onto her face.

“Mom! Let’s go!” Lutz complained.

Quickly, she picked up her pace.

***

“I wonder where you go when you’re not here.”

Yuuko packed up the empty Tupperware box into her backpack. Yuuri looked at her, polite but uncomprehending. Takeshi had wondered if he was lonely. Yuuko did, too. He seemed to like their company and the girls, too; they came whenever Yuuko couldn’t convince them to stay in bed now. But what did he do the rest of the time?

Perhaps she could show him their house. Just in case. Storms were coming for the next days and even if the cold didn’t bother you, the wind and rain still might. Besides, if he was at home, she would have time to teach him some Japanese. They could get to know him. The idea of seeing him and Takeshi sit on the living room floor with the kids climbing over them was immediately stuck in her head. He fit in so well with them here, why shouldn’t he at home? It was worth a try.

Yuuko took hold of Yuuri’s hand. It was only a little cool and much softer than she’d expected for how much he looked to be carved out of ice. He stared at her and gave an unsure smile and, taking a small breath, she curled her fingers tightly around his. When she pulled him off the rink, he followed, and Yuuko’s heart was beating fast.

***

Takeshi found them all asleep on the couch, the girls piled onto Yuuri like he was a giant teddy bear. He couldn’t actually tell if Yuuri was asleep but he wasn’t moving and his breathing was steady. His clothes were slightly too big on Yuuri and his shoulder was peeking out, shimmering under the apartment lights.

“Okay, come on, who’s going to bed first?” Takeshi said, not expecting any of the girls to answer. Yuuri’s eyes popped open, wide awake as Takeshi had suspected, but he still didn’t move. “Don’t worry about it. They gotta wake up and brush their teeth anyway.”

Yuuri sat up, dislodging the girls, though Axel only gave a slight grumble as she slid down in between Yuuri’s back and the couch. He startled a little but Takeshi chuckled as he bent down to lift Loop and Lutz into his arms.

“Just pick her up and follow me,” Takeshi said, grunting as he jostled Loop into a better position. She was clinging onto him, awake enough to keep from falling.

Yuuri obeyed, picking up Axel and following after Takeshi. The girls were used to falling asleep in the living room, usually after staying up too late to watch competitions live, so they zombie walked through the motions of brushing their teeth and changing into their pajamas.

It helped to have Yuuri there, gently nudging them along. It was almost like having Yuuko beside him and Takeshi had to swallow something down at that thought. This could be more permanent.

“We should keep you,” Takeshi joked as he closed the door to the triplet’s room.

Yuuri smiled, his flush adding color to his cheeks as he looked down. It made him look more human, like he could fit into their family without issues.

***

“Is Yuuri going to stay here with us?” Lutz asked the next morning.

Takeshi and Yuuko looked at each other. They didn’t have an answer for that yet but Lutz had no way of knowing what sort of question she had asked of her parents. Before they could say anything Axel raised her hand and leaned forward.

“He can stay,” Axel said, thinking herself sneaky for giving Yuuri her milk, which she hated drinking in the morning.

 Yuuri was happily eating breakfast, forgoing the utensils and licking his fingers far too much for Takeshi’s sake.

 “Loop, you’re the deciding vote,” Takeshi said, and he made sure he had his ‘Dad Is Joking’ voice on at one hundred percent.

 Loop stared at Yuuri for a minute then nodded.

 “Yeah, I like his cold skin. It feels nice.”

 Takeshi spat out his coffee.

 “It’s like being in the rink!”

 Yuuko spat out her coffee.

 ***

 “Where is Yuuri going to sleep?” Yuuko asked, fiddling with the sleeve of her pajamas as she sat on the edge of the bed. She was worrying the ends enough that they were unravelling but Takeshi didn’t stop her because he was just as keyed up. He lingered in the doorway, eyes on their bed.

 Yesterday Yuuri had slept on the couch, or at least, he’d stayed there all night. When Yuuko had gone to wake him, he’d been sitting up and staring at the ceiling.

 But that wouldn’t suffice tonight, for whatever reason Takeshi chose not to explore. He closed his eyes for a moment and imagined how Yuuri would slot into their bed. Part of him wanted to insist that things were fine the way they had been last night, but the larger part wanted to see that imagined scene become reality.

 “I’m okay if you are…” Takeshi trailed off, not wanting to say the words. It felt wrong somehow. He knew what Yuuko wanted, because it was the same thing he wanted; they’d seen all of Yuuri but they hadn’t gotten to touch, and he burned to reach out and feel.

 Yuuko tucked her hair behind her ear without meeting his gaze, uncharacteristically nervous. He’d seen her squeal about the prowess of figure skaters butts and the different levels of sexuality each man oozed on a technical level in front of him, her husband, without care.

 Takeshi went to kiss her because he loved her so much.

 “What are we doing?” Yuuko asked softly.

 “I have no clue,” Takeshi answered.

 Yuuko laughed and leaned her head into his stomach.

 “Just like with the triplets, hm?”

 “They’re not turning out so bad,” Takeshi said.

 Yuuko laughed again as she stood, using Takeshi’s hand to pull herself up. She kissed his cheek.

 “I’ll go get him,” she whispered.

 Yuuko left and Takeshi began pacing as quickly as he could, trying to breath as normally as possible. It’d been a long day so they would go straight to sleep. But this time Yuuri would be there curled up between them. They’d agreed to this and once Yuuri joined them, that would be it, that would be the first step.

 ***

 “Do you ever sleep?” Takeshi asked Yuuri as Yuuko coaxed him into bed.

 Yuuri stared at it then tentatively climbed on top of the covers, fidgeting as Yuuko showed him how to slide under and tucked the blanket in around him. He stared at Takeshi in confusion.

 “It’s okay,” Yuuko said before Takeshi could. “You don’t have to try.”

 Yuuri smoothed the blanket over his legs and shrugged, looking as though he wanted to explain. He opened his mouth but then snapped it shut, hands clutched tight at his inability to speak and be understood.

 Takeshi watched, helpless, but then Yuuko patted the mattress.

 “We’ll figure something out,” she said.

 ***

 “Since Yuuri can’t talk we need to teach him,” Axel announced the next morning as the triplets marched into the kitchen for breakfast.

 “Who is ‘we’?” Yuuko asked with suspicion. She groaned as Lutz pulled out a binder. It was already meticulously color coded.

 Takeshi was mostly impressed. They moved fast.

 “We figure if we each take turns missing a day of school we can get him fluent in Japanese by the end of the month-”

 “You are not ditching school,” Takeshi said before Yuuko could burst. She was steaming already. He didn’t blame her, considering what the girls were saying, but the day was just starting.

 Yuuri was happily drinking Axel’s milk, uncaring of the conversation around him. He set the empty glass down and resumed eating. At least someone was enjoying breakfast, Takeshi thought.

 ***

A week later Takeshi woke up to Yuuri’s intense gaze on him.

It had become habit for Takeshi to read the girls a story, Yuuri temporarily sharing a bed with one of the them until they fell asleep and he made his way to Takeshi and Yuuko’s bed. It was adorable to see the girls take such possession of him, but it was so much sweeter that Yuuri always made his way back to them.

“You okay?” Takeshi mumbled, more asleep than awake.

Yuuri touched his face with the barest hint of his fingertips; the chill to them vanished almost immediately and he felt warm for the first time. Takeshi sunk into the feeling even though it had to be wrong. He was married, happily so, and Yuuri probably didn’t even mean anything by it. The human side of the world must have been so strange to him and this was just another way he was exploring it.

Takeshi blamed his sleep addled brain for shifting up to kiss Yuuri.

He snapped awake as Yuuri’s cold lips pressed back, and Takeshi couldn’t fight back a moan as Yuuri slowly morphed from comfortingly cold to pleasantly warm. Takeshi stared at Yuuri once he pulled away, unable to figure out what to do or say. A smile slowly formed on Yuuri’s face as he watched him. It should have been terrifying, because for the thousandth time Takeshi was reminded that Yuuri was something more than human.

“What’s wrong?” Yuuko asked, sitting and rubbing at her eyes. She glanced at the clock then back at Takeshi.

“Nothing,” Takeshi stammered.

Yuuri leaned over and kissed Yuuko as well. Yuuko’s eyes widened in surprise and she glanced at Takeshi’s equally shocked expression. But she didn’t hesitate like he did. Instead she wrapped an arm around Yuuri and raked her fingers through his hair with her other hand.

Yuuri slowly lifted his arms to mimic Yuuko, wrapping them around her. He was pressing her close and Takeshi saw how she shivered until she warmed Yuuri up.

 “Oh,” she said once Yuuri released her, and Takeshi’s heart nearly hammered itself out of his chest. He knew that look. She was in bliss and he didn’t do it, and god, he loved her so much.

 “Is this okay?” Takeshi asked as he moved over, needing to feel Yuuri now that he wasn’t cold. There was no light but Takeshi swore like he could still see Yuuri’s skin glitter.

 Yuuko reached around to grab Takeshi’s hand, intertwining their fingers just as Yuuri pushed back against Takeshi, angling his head and pursing his lips for another kiss.

 ***

 “Wake up,” Yuuko demanded, shaking Takeshi awake.

 “What?” Takeshi mumbled, staring at the clock. It was an hour before they need to wake up for the day.

 “Yuuri is gone,” Yuuko said. She’d already changed into something more appropriate for outside and Takeshi shot up.

 “Gone?” He repeated dumbly.

 “I’m going to check the rink,” Yuuko said.

 “I’m coming with you,” he said and Yuuko hesitated.

 “Stay here with the girls,” she said. He didn’t protest but he wouldn’t be going back to sleep until he knew for sure that Yuuri was okay.

“Text me,” he said and Yuuko nodded, leaving him with a kiss.

It was a tense forty-five minutes til Yuuko texted him, saying she had found Yuuri, he was safe, and that she was almost back. He could have been angry that she didn’t text right away but instead he waited until she was in bed with him again.

“Where is Yuuri?” he asked.

“He went to the rink,” Yuuko said.

“The rink?”

“To skate,” she said. Yuuko bit her lip as she slowly peeled her jacket off. “I think...it’s been a lot of change for him. He needed some time to think.”

“Oh,” Takeshi said. It made sense. There wasn’t a good way to explain to Yuuri that they liked him and wanted him to be a part of their lives. Maybe he thought they had kidnapped him.

“I told him to stay in the rink until we can go in,” Yuuko explained. “Once the girls go to school, we can go to him and maybe talk.”

“What are we even going to say?” Takeshi asked as Yuuko snuggled up to him.

Yuuko shrugged but gave no other answer.

***

Yuuko and Takeshi found Yuuri in the rink still, his clothes thrown onto one of the benches. He was dancing on the ice, free from human restraints, and they didn’t dare even breathe too loud for fear of interrupting him.

But then Yuuri spotted them and smiled as he held out a hand, inviting them onto the ice. Takeshi was struck by the thought that it was like Yuuri was welcoming them into his home as they had shared theirs with him.

“Give us a minute, we can’t skate on bare feet like you,” Yuuko called out with a giddy laugh.

Takeshi was already kicking his shoes off. He beat Yuuko and reached out for Yuuri’s hands, shining and alien with an additional layer of ice from the rink. The chill was welcoming and Takeshi shivered despite his jacket.

Yuuko joined them, spinning around in a rusty twizzle. Yuuri let go of his right hand so he could take Yuuko’s. The three of them skating together was perfect. Here, on the ice, it wasn’t hard to see this being their new life.


End file.
